Culture and corten steel: Art Fetiche
A recent example of steel fabrication and installation mastery at Lake Mapourika fosters cultural identity and local connections.
The collaboration between Art Fetiche, master carver Fayne Robinson, and the Department of Conservation have produced yet another work of art at the lake’s jetty.
At the site north of Franz Josef Glacier, corten steel artworks were constructed on each of the pillars, representing the significance of the local rūnanga, Makaawhio, and the beautiful landscapes surrounding them.
After successfully installing the beautiful Te Koropikopiko o te Waka at Fox Glacier lookout, the craftsmanship and synergy of Art Fetiche and Fayne were sought after again. The Department of Conservation reached out once more to secure the duo for their next project.
As always, the meaning behind each Art Fetiche project runs deep. Fayne says each pillar connects the local rūnanga with the landscape, to further cement the bond between tangata whenua and the environment. Just as the waka at Fox Glacier and the pou at Greymouth’s Pounamu Pathway, this project connects local Māori to its location in Bruce Bay.
Through this partnership, a walk down the Lake Mapourika jetty is now something of magnificence, where sunlight bounces off the steel and mana encircles you.
